Automatic train control.



W. H. JOHNSON.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN CONTROL.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 26, 1913.

Patented Apr. 21, 1914 2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

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COLUMBIA PLANonRAPH CO,.\\ASMINOTON. D. C.

W. H. JOHNSON.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN CONTROL.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 26, 1913.

1,093,782., Patented Apr. 21, 1914 2 SHEBTS-SHEET 2.

COLUMBIA PLANoaRAPH co..wAsmNGToN, D. E.

UNiTED srnrnsrnriinr OFFICE. Y

WILLIAM H. JOHNSON, OF STAMPS, ARKANSAS.

AUTOMATIC TRAIN CONTROL.

T 0 all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. JoHN. soN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Stamps, in the county of Lafayette and State of Arkansas, have invented certain new and useful .Improve ments in Automatic Train Control, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to automatic train controlling and braking apparatus and has for its object the provision of an improved structure of this character arranged in suchmanner that when air is admitted to the train line, the brakes are caused to grip the rails with great force and thereby bring the train to a stop.

It is a further object of the invention to provide automatic guards or detectors traveling in advance of the brake shoe proper and arranged through proper connections to release each individual brake during the time that said brake is passing over a frog or switch and to immediately thereafter cause a re-setting of such individual brake.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the detailed description which now follows: y

In the accompanying drawing, Figure l is a plan view of the air cylinders and associated parts with the outline of the car in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view of one of the guards or protectors, Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view of one of the brake mechanisms proper, Fig. 5 is a detail view of a valve hereinafter described.

Like numerals designate corresponding parts in all of the figures of the drawing.

Referring to the drawing, 5 designates the body of a car and 6 the trucks thereof. A main air cylinder 7 is supported beneath the ear and contains the pistons 8 which connect to piston rods 9. An auxiliary air cylinder 10 contains pistons l1 which are connected to piston rods 12. The air line 13 passes through cylinder 10 and then through a connection 14 to cylinder 7. This air line is continued at 15 to connect it to the next car (not shown). A by-pass 16 leads from connection 14 around the cylinder 7 so that air may pass from the connection 14 to pipe 15, without passing through cylinder 7.

The connect-ions upon each of the trucks Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 26, 1913.

Patented Apr. 21, 1914. Serial No. 791,973.

are the same and a description of the connections upon one truck will suffice.

The connections will be better understood by first inspecting Figs. 3 and 4. Fig. 3 illustrates one of the detectors and an inspection of this gure will show that the detector comprises a hollow casing 17, trunnioned at 18 to one of the side members 19 of the truck in such manner that it is capable of a bodily swinging movement. Disposed within casing 17 is a plunger 20 normally held in an elevated position by a spring 21. Cables 22 nass around the lower ends of the casing and are connected to ears 23 by which the downward movement of plunger 2O is limited. Normally this plunger is held in an elevated position some distance above the rail 24. The cables 22 are brought together at ring 25 and a cable 2G is connected to this ring, see Figs. 1 and 8. There are four of these detectors, one at each corner of the truck so that the brake proper shown in Fig. 4 is guarded no matter in which direction the ear is moving.

When air is admitted to pipe 13, it forces the pistons 11 apart. The piston rods 12 are rigidly fixed to bars 27 and these bars are consequently moved bodily toward the ends of the car, being guided in such movement by brackets 28. In this movement these bars pull upon cables 26 and consequently upon cables 22 to project plungers 20 to such an extent as to bring the shoes 22a into proximity to rails 24. The cables 26 at the outer corners of the truck are pulled upon in like manner through links 29 and levers 30, the latter being pivoted at 31 and having the cables 2G attached to their outer ends. The plungers 2O now lie in such position that if the train approaches a frog or switch the shoe 20a will strike thereagainst and rock the trunnioned casing 17 in such manner as to impart a pull to a cable 32 attached to the top thereof. These cables lead, as shown, over pulleys 83 and 34 to valves indicated generally at 35, these valves being disposed to control the passage of air to and from the cylinder 7. rlhe detail structure of this valve is best illustrated in Fig. 6. Here, 35 indicates the valve casing and 36, the valve having port 37 formed therethrough.- This valve is normally held in its open position by springs 38 encircling the valve stems 35h and bearing between the ends of the valve and the ends of the casing.

Vhen the valve is in its open position, its port 37 registers with the main air line 14. If the valve 36 be shifted over to the right or to the left, it cuts oit the passage of air from the main air line and brings port 37 into communication with one or the other of the vent pipes 39. It will therefore be seen that normally, that is when the casing 17 is in an upright position, port 37 is in the position illustrated in Fig. 6. That is, air is being admitted directly into the interior of cylinder 7, to thereby force pistons 8 apart and to thereby set the main brakes as hereinafter described. If, however, one or the other of the casings 17 should be tilted by contact with a switch or frog, then the pull upon cable 32 shifts the valve to bring port 37 out of communication with the main air supply and in communication with a vent pipe 39 which opens at 4() to the atmosphere. This cuts oil1 the air from cylinder 7 and provides a vent for the air already in the cylinder, thereby releasing the adjacent main brake. The provision of the by-pass 16 insures against the air supply of the other cars of the train being interfered with by the closing of the valve.

The method of setting the main brake by the outward movement of the pistons 9 is as follows: These pistons carry rigid heads 41 having pin and slot connections 42 with the ends of levers 43 that are pivoted at 44. The outer ends of these levers are connected by cables 45 to rings 46 that are in turn connected to cables 47. These cables are passed over pulleys 48 and are crossed and connected to pivoted shoes 49. These shoes are normally held in their open position by springs 50. When cable 45 ispulled upon, it will be seen that these shoes will be drawn together to cause their working faces 51 to grip the sides of the rail with great force. The ends of these working faces are rounded to prevent them from catching into the projections at the rail joints or at other points. V

It will therefore be seen that the present structure comprises a highly efficient automatic train brake which grips the rails with sufiicient force to bring the train to a very V quick stop but at the same time each individual brake is provided with a guard or detector no matter' in which direction the train is moving, to release the individual brakes one at a time during the passage of the.train over a switch or frog.

While I have shown the brakes proper as located between the wheels of theV truck, it is apparent that the exact location of these brakes may be varied at will so long as they are placed in position to be reached by the Y cables 32. The various types of trucks used diier somewhat in form and my invention contemplates the placing of the, brakes in any position upon the trucks where they will act upon the rails and where they may be reached by their operating cables.

From the foregoing description,it will be seen that simple and eiicient means are herein provided for accomplishing the objects of the invention, but while the elements shown and described are well adapted to serve the purposes for which they are intended, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise construction set forth, but includes within its purview such changes as may be made within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my claim is:

1. In a train braking mechanism, the combination with main brakes, of detectors traveling in advance of said main brakes and arranged to be actuated by their passage over a frog or switch to release the individual main brake with which they are associated.

2. In a train braking mechanism, the combination with an air brake, of a guard or detector arranged to travel in advance thereoil and actuated by contact with a frog or switch to release said air brake.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination with a main air cylinder, of rail en aging brakes actuated by the admission o air thereto, valves controlling the passage of air to said cylinder, and a rail straddling guard or detector arranged to travel in advance of each of said air brakes and vthe movement of which controls said valve, said detectors normally lying in position to be engaged by a frog or switch.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination with a main air cylinder, of air brakes actuated by the admission of air to said cylinder, valves for controlling the admission of air to and from said cylinder, an auxiliary air cylinder and guards or detectors arranged to be moved to operative position by the admission of air to said auX- iliary air cylinder, and means for shifting said valves when said guards or detectors are moved by their contact with a frog or switch.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination with a main air cylinder, of air brakes actuated by the admission of air to said cylinder, valves for controlling the admission of air to and from said cylinder, an auxiliary air cylinder, a plurality of guards or detectors mounted for bodily swinging movement, connections between said detectors and said valves, and means actuated by the admission of air to the auxiliary cylinder for moving said detectors to operative position.

6. In a device of the character described, the combination with track brakes comprising Xed body portions, hinged plates carried thereby, track engaging brake shoes invention, what I prising .cables for projecting carried by said plates, crossed cables connected to said plates, a main air cylinder, means for imparting a pull to said cables when air is admitted to said cylinder, valves lor controlling the passage of air to said cylinder, a'plurality of detectors each comprising a swingingly mounted casing, a plunger in said casing, a spring normally holding said plunger in elevated position,

drawn upon, an auxiliary air cylinder, and means for imparting a pull to said last named cables when air is admited to said auxiliary air cylinder.

7. In a device of the character described, the combination with track brakes compris` ing fixed body portions, hinged plates carried thereby, track engaging brake shoes carried by said plates, crossed cables connected to said plates, a main air cylinder, means for imparting a pull to said cables when air is admitted to said cylinder, valves for controlling the passage of air to said cylinder, a plurality of detectors each coma sivingingly mounted casing, a plunger in said casing, a spring normally holding said plunger in elevated position, cables for projecting said plunger When drawn upon, an auxiliary air cylinder,

said plunger When.

means for imparting a pull to said last named cables when air is admitted to said auxiliary air cylinder, and a main air line supplying air to both of said cylinders.

8. In a device of the character described, the combination With track brakes comprising fixed body portions, hinged plates carried thereby, track engaging brake shoes carried by said plates, cross cables connected to said plates, a main air cylinder, means for imparting a pull to said cables When air is admitted to said cylinder, valves for controlling the passage of air to said cylinder, a plurality of detectors each comprising a swingingly mounted casing, a plunger in said casing, a spring normally holding said plunger in elevated position, cables for projecting said plunger when drawn upon, an auxiliary air cylinder, means for imparting a pull to said last named cables when air is admitted to said auxiliary air cylinder, and' a by-pass in said line leading around the first named cylinder.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my in presence of tvvo Witnesses.

WILLIAM H. JOHNSON.

Witnesses A. P. BEAsLEY, H. B. PIPKIN.

signature Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, JJ. C. 

